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| Our pretty little tête-à-têtes |
The light is different, too. It is softer and more golden.
Spring is in the air.
Several weeks ago, when the ground was still frozen and the light was cold and steely gray, we bought a pot of tête-à-têtes to enjoy at Darlington House, as a harbinger of spring. This past weekend the diminutive flowers were at their loveliest, and their fragrance sweet and delicate. We were so taken by them that we have ordered eleven more pots of them in different sizes to have massed on our dining table during a party we're throwing later this month. It should be lovely.
Just as Reggie likes to (mostly) hibernate during the depths of winter, keeping close to hearth and home, so does he like to spread his wings when spring arrives, and begin to socialize again. In fact, he's itching to get out there.
How about you?
Photograph by Boy Fenwick
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You sound just like me...a social butterfly in the warmer months and a hibernating bear in the winter! Those flowers are lovely, not familiar with the name, they look like mini daffodils..I need to order some as well, as our actual bulbs will not blossom until late May...we have the above referenced North facing hillside!
ReplyDeleteCan NOT wait for spring. There are some crocii in bloom here and just the very first few early daffodils. Spring's my favourite season.
ReplyDeleteHi Reggie,
ReplyDeleteAlready had my first early spring dinner outside the other evening... I'm in Florida :)
Any flower makes me happy - pretty much - but I LOVE snowdrops, perhaps one day you will share an image of those from your garden??
Northern Light
PS. there is a Scandinavian Decorating book up for grabs at Northern Light Blog! .. anyone interested?
I also do my fair share of hibernating in the winter...yay for spring! xx
ReplyDeleteOf course! trying to shake off the end of flu
ReplyDeleteand refocus on flowers.
I can not wait for the days where I can have the french doors wide open! I am excited to see your table with the arrangement of pots, and will be curious to hear what you will be sipping for the occasion!
ReplyDeleteAs MD was wont to recite every year: "Spring has sprung/the grass is riz/I wonder where the birdies is." (While often attributed to Ogden Nash or ee cummings, the most likely author is Anonymous.)
ReplyDeleteYour loving brother, Frecky
I have a house adjacent to an old estate that is now a botanic garden. From my property one can see Daffodil Hill, a slope planted with over one hundred thousand bulbs to bloom in succession over a period of six weeks. Not to be outdone, another former estate (now a museum) across the street has planted over one hundred thousand tulip bulbs just starting to bloom. So I am enjoying these benefits of my extended garden.
ReplyDeleteYes Reggie, you and I share a similar love of both seasons, I suspect. Winter is a delicious time of hibernation.... books, fires, tea, sleep. But spring makes me throw open the windows, plant acres of flowers and plan lavish luncheons!! Love them both!
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Darling,
ReplyDeleteI have a great weakness for daffodils in all their glorious shapes and colors, and always have since as far back as I can remember (with the exception of the ubiquitous showy sulfur yellow King Alfred cultivar). Mind you, if Wordsworth had not been greeted by their extraordinary golden presence on his walk back
in 1804, we would never have read the words "I wandered lonely as a cloud" from my favorite poem "The Daffodils", and for that I am most grateful.
Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful blooms over the coming month.
Spring! Oh what a joyous time of reverie! What else is one to do in Winter, especially with the likes of the one that just passed? Hibernate! Reggie, you are not alone, the Winter doldrums were rather loathsome but Spring has arrived and all the colors that abound with it. Cheers! For winter is subdued by springs unyielding beauty.
ReplyDeleteSo charming! And on Sunday, the light was especially spring-like. I got a glimpse of that long afternoon light coming through into the kitchen and it was pure joy - like I was experiencing it for the first time. Can't wait to get out and see people as well!!
ReplyDeleteYou know it's Spring when the tree men start showing up at your doorstep in Van Rensselaer making offers to chop up and mulch the Winter's bountiful harvest of fallen trees and branches. We will end up with a sizeable mound on the north side of the barn. Meanwhile, we are off to Yorkshire and Shropshire end of next week for the warmer weather and daffodils.
ReplyDeleteNo that the time has changed and we have longer days, it feels like spring here too.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank god for that!
Don't forget to plant the spent flowers in the garden. You will avoid more garbage and they well return every year.
ReplyDeleteDear Reggie, I feel exactly the same. I couldn't have put it better myself. I want it to get a bit warmer so I can do some work in my garden xx
ReplyDeleteSpring brings lacrosse...and the time consuming pleasure of coaching my son's team...and the start of the Steeplechase season and the welcome daylight when I leave the office...amongst other things.
ReplyDeleteDear Reggie, I believe those daffs were mis- labeled. They have orange cups where Tete a Tete is pure yellow and two flowers come out of the same scape (bud) hence the name.'Head to head'.These also appear taller. Check with the supplier so you will not be disappointed when Tete a Tete appears for your party.
ReplyDeleteLove the daffs....and the fragrance.
Reggie, I too love to look at signs of spring during the dead of winter. Here at Whimsey Hill House, I force hyacinth, paper white narcissus, and amaryllis. Make sure you divide and plant the tete-a-tere in the garden in a few weeks, so you will have them next spring to enjoy outside ;-}
ReplyDelete